Crila, A Solution to Old Men’s Urinary Problems?

BY MARK SCHOLZ, MD

As we get older, we run into all kinds of difficulties.  Poor hearing, sexual dysfunction, memory problems and arthritic joints, just to name a few. Bladder issues in particular can be troublesome, interrupting sleep, making us dread long drives or forcing us to visit the bathroom at an inopportune time.

As a prostate oncologist taking care of many men who are in their 60s and 70s, it’s no surprise that I hear a lot about urinary difficulties. These problems are often thought to result from prostate enlargement, otherwise known as BPH. The swollen gland ends up pinching the urinary passage way (called the urethra).  Slow urination and incomplete emptying of the bladder are the result. 

Prostate gland enlargement with incomplete bladder emptying can frequently be solved with common prescription medications like Flomax, Rapaflo and Uroxatrol which relax the muscles in the wall of the urethra and help to open up the passageway.  Proscar and Avodart can shrink the prostate but they also tend to shrink your libido. The most popular treatment is a nonprescription—Saw Palmetto an herbal product that works by relaxing the muscles in the urethra.

However, after doing thousands of color Doppler ultrasound examinations, which by the way is the most precise way to measure the size of the prostate, I have learned that BPH is a less common cause of men’s urinary problems. So what is the primary reason for men’s urinary frustrations? Prostatitis—low grade inflammation of the gland with secondary irritation. What causes prostatitis?  In a minority of cases it is due to bacterial infection. When this type of prostatitis occurs it may improve with antibiotics. But for the vast majority of cases we simply don’t know the cause.  Virus or autoimmune causes have been theorized but nothing has been proven. Our ignorance, however, has nothing to do with its prevalence. It is not widely realized, but almost all men have some degree of chronic inflammation in their prostate glands.

Though we don’t know the precise etiology, anti-inflammatory medications can be quite effective at alleviating the symptoms of prostatitis. Over the counter products like Aleve and Motrin are effective. Celebrex, is a prescription anti-inflammatory agent that is billed as having less stomach irritation. However, unless the pills are used continuously, the inflammation comes back.

Recently, I have been introduced to a natural anti-inflammatory substance discovered in the flower of the Crila plant. Several of our patients tried Crila with notable improvement to their urinary symptoms. So far we have not observed any side effects.  To investigate Crila’s effectiveness further, I have petitioned the manufacturer to provide a 3-month supply of Crila to 15 of our patients at no cost. Patients who have problems with frequent urination, a strong sense of urinary urgency or have to get up frequently at night to urinate may want to consider contacting Sabrina in our office about their eligibility for participating in this clinical trial.